The Top 7 Feel Aspects of EA Sports Games - ZFarls's Blog

ZFarls's Blog

The Top 7 Feel Aspects of EA Sports Games

Posted on July 27, 2009 at 11:58 AM.

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The Top 7 Feel Aspects of EA Sports Games

There are moments in video games that make you get up off the couch and do a little Tiger Woods fist pump. These are the reasons we play the games and they give us that rush that we couldn't pull off in real life.
Over the last generation, EA has made there controls more intuitive and allowed the user to feel as if they were actually controlling a specific part of the player. This has come along way from button pressing and will hopefully lead us into even more realistic simulations years from now when we are actually in the game.
In this article ZFarls breaks down the best uses of new controls and how they allow you to feel as if you are part of the game. These are my favorite things to control in sports games and things that get me fired up when I do them.

In reverse order:

7. NCAA 2K7- Making it rain with the stick-
The first game on the list is the only non EA game on the list. Sgibs and our college roomates had the filthiest Dynasty mode in this game. It had elements of drama, comedy, sabotage, tragedy, and greatness. We all picked average SEC teams and took them on 5 year missions. When I played one of my roomates in the NCAA Tourney and drew back that stick for a GW 3, one thing was clear, if the shot went in I was going to go NUTS! This led to one of my sober college stories.
I drilled the game winning three as time expired from the deep corner. I put my shirt over my head and ran outside in the courtyard screaming and doing the soccer like airplane celebration. I forgot that it was 3 a.m. and it was very quiet and dark outside. I went back inside and about 2 minutes later we received a knock on the door from the campus security.

Im responding to a noise complaint, sir have you been drinking?

No sir, Im dead sober but I just advanced to the final four by drilling a 3 from the corner and I got a little excited.

Although he asked me how old I was, I believe he had the spirit of a gamer and told me to be quieter next time. I invited him back for some tecmo superbowl but he never showed back up. He must have known we would shut him out.

6. FIFA - Curving one in from outside the box!

Coming down the wing and using the spin back in FIFA 06 or 07 was a great experience for me. When you use the RB and tucked it nicely, there was nothing quite like it. Properly executing a scoring play in soccer is something that get me fired up. Maybe you see one pass ahead of the defender and finishing it properly feels so natural.

5. Tiger Woods- Holing out from 75+ yards

Tiger probably has the most realistic controls seeing as how the club relates to the analog stick. I would argue that golf is probably the most difficult thing to do on the list. Everyone can golf, but so few do it well that the game is a great escape. In real golf, knowing what you want to do and completing it are rarely done.
When you play Tiger and you know that the wind is 6 mph left and the hole is 10 feet up you start to think that you have a shot at it. Then you pull back right to 87 percent with that stick and fling it forward. Alot of the times you just know that good things are going to happen. The screen goes black and the heart rate picks up. That ball make the distinctive sound of whacking the green and then just two seconds later you hear the ball holing sound.
Now its clear why tiger gets so jacked up on big putts. The anticipation is so big and when that ball finally drops a fist pump is coming. When you properly execute a shot that you lined up its is one of the best feelings in EA games, also because its so much more difficult in real life.

4. NCAA Football- Running the option and timing the pitch or cutting it up

For me this extends back to NCAA 03 with Joey Harrington on the cover. The pitch was very easy in this game and you could throw it longer and later. This led to me and the Huskers with Jamal Lord and Diedrick running the show. I would hit the outside and look to slice it or let it rip. When you fake a pitch and hang onto it everything just feels right. This has properly been slowed down in new versions but when you could hit that bumper button and pitch the ball it just feels right.

3. Madden-Throwing a TD like you drew it up

Madden is a game where things are repeat and alot of the work is done before the play. However, when you control the QB and make a proper read with the game on the line almost nothing feels better.
You are playing some chump online who has gotten a few fumbles. He keeps running the same play and finally you see how to expoit it. You need to be quick because only 13 seconds remain on the clock.
You snap the ball and drop back, his safety stays short with the curl you placed and you have a shot at the end zone. You huck the ball and user control the receiver as you get into position you SLAM down on the Y button as your WR jumps up into the air! TD and finally you have the W against some joke who shouldn't have been in the game with you in the first place.
That will get you up off the chair and pumped.

2. Fight Night Round 3-Dropping you opponent with a mean combo

The punching stick was a welcome addition and brought some of the most intuitive controls to any boxing game yet. This made it more natural feel to a match and could lead to some beautiful knockdowns. When you target an opponents weakness and hammered back on that right analog stick for a quick 1-2 combo it feels great. With the beautiful knockdown animations and realistic reactions it got you fired up no doubt about it. You felt good because you controlled the action with the right stick and there was nothing he could do to stop it. You then got up in your little brothers face and let him know about it as well.Fight Night Round 4, will not be featuring buttons which will hurt the casual gamer, however this will also lead to good stick on stick battles and not one person throwing more punches because they are just mashing buttons.
ZFarls is on a fight night podcast for Round 4 and will let people know about it when they are getting released.

1. NHL 09-Dangling and finishing upstairs in OT-

This is the game online that has made the biggest strides. Since the game is continuous with no real set up, you always find yourself in new and interesting situations. You must be creative with the sticks if you want to win some games. You have many moves at your disposal and putting one away always feels good. NHL 09 completely took a risk with adding these controls and they got a huge payoff by becoming the dominant hockey game in the market. If your friend uses classic controls let him know that he is a chump.
When you scoop up the puck in OT and get on a breakaway so many things flash into the mind, you must get that right stick and mind on the same page and finish. I would say scoring a game winning goal in this game elicits the biggest reaction. I always seem to stand up when I finish and get a little pumped. The right stick makes for such a good feel to the game and when you make a sick dangle you just gotta get excited. Thats why were on earth right, for fun?

With more realistic simulations in the future, hopefully the controls can continue to become more realistic and natural feeling. I hope users will continue to want more from their games each season and the developers have the ability to deliver. If you have a game or move that you enjoy please post in the comments section or Email ZFarls

Comments

# 1 matt8204 @ Jul 27

Great list, man! I can relate to a lot of these. Those moments of euphoria are amazing. Everything works out just perfectly and you pump your fist and say to yourself, "Oh, hell YES!"